Ironing machine



March 5,1929. L1-.MME Y1,704,129 l IRONING MACHINE Filed Jan. 21, 192'?`2 Sheets-Sheet l gi/77? ZZUIZ@ MW/,%

' March 5, 1929.

2 Sheets-Sheet for Patented Mani, l y

UNlTEl) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'traina JOHN T. HUME, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB T0 ELECTRIQHOUSEHOLD UTILITIES CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AIG0RIEORLAL'JQION' OIE'` ILLINOIS.

IBONING MACHINE.

application iiled January 21, 192'?. Serial No. 162,459.

kThis invention relates to improvements in ironing machines and itspurpose is to prot vide means for increasing the eiliciency anddurability of the ironing elements. The rincipal object of thevinvention is to provi e an improved rotatable ironing roll embodyingmeans for preventing the deterioration thereof in use.l .llt has beenthe practice heretofore to employ ironingrolls. comprising a more orless rigid cylinder or frame having wound thereon a covering of fabricadapted to form a cylindrical surface to cooperate with an ironing shoeand with vthe: clothes being ironed. @ne of the ironing elements,preferably the shoe, is ordinarily heated by electrical or othersuitable means and when the hot shoe is brought into engagement with thedamp clothes which are passed around the cylinder or roll during theprocess of ironing, a quantity of steam is produced which penetrates thefabric of the roll and has heretofore given rise to much diicultybecause of its tendency to cause the supporting structure of the roll torust and disintegrate.

The foregoing objections 'are overcome in the present invention byprovidin an ironing machine having a roll in whic the supportingstructure is protected from moisture arising from the steam producedduring the process of ironing by a. waterproof protecting element, whichmay be interposed between the fabric of the roll and the innersupporting structure thereof and which is preferably wound on thesupporting structure in conjunction with the ironing of the inner turnsof the fabric. A further feature of the invention -is the provision ofan mproved structure of the ironing roll embodying improvedmeans forattaching the fabric and waterproof protection thereto and including,preferably, means for efectin the ventilation ofthe mteriorof -the roll.ther objects relate to various features of construction and arrangementwhich will appear more fully hereinafter.`

The'nature of the invention will be understood from thefollowingspecification taken with the accompanying drawings, in which oneembodiment is illustrated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a partial end view of an ironing machineillustrating the relative arran ement of the ironing'roll and thecooperatin heated ironing shoe; Fig. 2 shows a vertical longitudinalsection taken through the cylindrical supporting structure of theironing roll; Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a relativearrangement of the parts at the commencement of the operation of windingthe fabric covering and the waterproof protection on the metallicsupporting structure of the roll; Fig. 4. shows a vertical section takentransversely to the axis of the roll yillustrating the engagement of thefabric coverin and the waterproof protection with the rol at thecommencement of the operation of winding these parts on the supportingstructure; Fig. 5 is a detail .sectional view showing the method ofattaching the metalliccylinder of the r'oll to the inner supportingdisks or spiders; and Fig. 6 shows a top lan view of the metalliccylinder of the roll moved.

As illustrated in the drawings, the invention is embodied in an ironingmachine comprising a rotatable roll 10 and ka relatively movable ironingshoe 11. The roll is rotated during the operation of the machine'bysuitable mechanism provided for that purpose and the shoe 1l is capableof being moved toward and from the roll, as desired, during theoperation of the machine by suitable mechanism actuated preferably bythe same Y with the fabric covering re\ mechanism which, throughsuitable connec-` tions, drives the roll 10. For example, the roll andshoe may be actuated by the mechanism shown in my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 750,725, liled November 19, 1924.

The shoe 11 has a concave face 11at which is adapted toco'nform to thecurvature of the peripheral surface of the roll 10,'and the shoe 11 isprovided with an electrical. heating device 12 by which the shoe ismaintained in a suitable hot condition by electrical means .during theoperation of the machine. The heating element and other parts mounted onthe 'back of the., shoe 11 are preferabl enclosed within the housing 11bwhich orms a part of the shoe. The shoe 11 is mounted on an arm 13 bymeans of a bolt 14 and the position of this arm on this support iscontrolled by a handle 15, as more vfully described in the applicationabove referred to. When the arm 13 is swung by suitablemechanism on itssupport, the shoe 11 may be moved toward or from the roll 10.

The roll 10 comprises a sheet metal cylinder 16 which is formedpreferably by rolling a. sheet of metal into cylindrical form with theedges thereofmeeting, as shown at 16. The

metal of the cylinder is rolled` around a plurality of radiallyextending disks or spiders 17 having outer cylindrical flanges 17'*which contact with the inner surface of the cylinder 16. The disks 17are spaced apart y longitudinally of the cylinder 10 and are mit acirculation of air through the interior of the roll. The disks at theends of the cylinder 10 are provided with enlarged central aperturesadapted to receive the hubs 19 and withl gear teeth 26 so that it formsa ear r(iti vmeta adapted to mesh with a pinion actuate vby the drivingmechanism of the machine, thereby rotating the roll. The hub 20 also hasa bushing 22 secured within it and journaled on the axle 23.

The sheet metal of the cylinder 16 is suitably stamped or punched atintervals around the periphery of the cylinder `in alignment with theanges 17 a of the disks, so that tongues 27 are formed in the cylinderin positions to be bent inwardly around the edges of rectangularapertures 28 which are formed in the flanges 17 a, 'as illustratedparticularly in Figs. 2 and 5, thus securing the cylinder wall inassembled relation on the disks. It will be understood that the punchingof the sheet metal of the cylinder is done before the sheet is wrappedaround the disks and that the tongues 27 are then bent inwardly andunder the edges of the apertures 28, as shown in Fig. 5, therebysecuring the parts together without other fastening means. The sheetmetal of the cylinder 16 is also punched at points located preferablybetween the circular rows spikes 30, these spikes being inclined to theperipheral surface of the cylinder, as indicated particularlypin Fig. 4.

Having formed the metallic supporting cylinder illustrated in Figs. 2and 6, the next operation is to windthereon the fabric covering which isadapted to contact with the clothes being ironed. This fabric covering31 is preferably in the form of a long sheet which is wound spirally onthe c linder 16 after first engaging the end of the abi-ic with the sikes 30. 'In order to protect the sheet l)cylinder 16 and the connectedmetal parts from the action ofthe moisture which would otherwise betransmitted thereto through the fabric of the roll, a waterproofprotecting sheet, 32 is providedin con] unction erably provided withapertures 18 to perl with the inner layers of the fabricA 31. Inapplying the fabric and the waterproof protecting sheet 32 to thecylinder 16, the ends of the fabric and the sheet 32 are both engaed bythe spikes 30, as shown in Fig. 3 an then, upon rotating the cylinder16, the fabric 31 and the waterproof sheet 32 are both wound on thecylinder with a. layer of the waterproof material interposed betweenadjacent `llayers of the fabric. The .waterproof sheet 32 which may beformed of oil cloth, oil linen or other material adapted Ato prevent thepassage of moisture therethrough, is of thesame width as the fabricsheet 31 and should be of sufficient length to provide one or morecomplete turns around the cylinder 16, preferably a plurality of turns,although it will be understood that the fabric sheet 31 is ordinarilymuch longer than the waterproof sheet 32, so that the outer portion ofthe cloth covering 33 of the roll, as

illustrated in Fig. 1, is formed entirely of theA -fabric 31. The outerportion of the coveringl of the roll'may thus be penetrated by the steamcreated by the action'of 'the heated shoe 11-on the damp materialsbeingyironed, but this steam cannot penetrate through the covering -tothe sheet metal cylinder 16 and parts within the cylinder, so that theseparts are preserved from rust or other deteriorating influences. Bymeans of .this improved construction, the life of the ironing machine isgreatly prolonged and at the same time the presence of rust or otheraccumulations' i which might damage the clothes is prevented. Althoughone form ofthe-,invention has been shown and described by way ofillustration, it will be understood that it may be embodied in variousother forms within the sco e of the appended claims.

claim:

1.' An ironing machine having a rotatable roll comprising a metalliccylinder, a fabric coverlng wound on said cylinder, and a waterproofcovering wound on said cylinderv between layers of said fabric covering.p of tongues 27 in a"manner adapted to form Y va plurality of sharpoutwardly projecting between adjacent layers of said fabric sheet,

said waterproof sheet being of shorter length than said fabric sheethaving its inner end on the outer side of said fabric sheet. y

3. An ironing machine havin a roll comprising a cylinder, a sheet ofabric, and a sheet of waterproof material, both of said sheets havingtheir inner ends attached to said cylinder and being wound thereon withsaid waterproof sheet interposed between layers of said fabric sheet.

An ironing machine having a roll comprismg a sheet metal cylinder havingspikes formed thereon, a fabric sheet, and a waterproof sheet, both ofsaid sheets having their inner ends engaging said s ikes and being woundon sal cyhnder to orm a, covermg therefor.

5. An ironing machine'having a roll com- 5 prising a. sheet metalcylinder having spikes woun on sai cylinder to form a covering therefor,said water proof sheet being shorter in length than said fabric sheetwhereby the outer portion of said`covering is composed entirely offabric.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name,

JOHN T. HUME.

